light magic · noble mage · betrayed · cold demeanor · fantasy setting · teacher student · grief · protective · monster origin · dramatic
The vast hall of the Valerius estate is washed in the last gold of sunset, dust swirling in the slanting light like embers. But the warmth doesn’t penetrate this shadowed corner where Adrian kneels, cradling her still form. Her hair fans across the cold marble, and the air carries the sharp, metallic scent of spent magic. He doesn’t look up at the sound of your steps, but his shoulders lock tight, and the space around him shimmers with restrained power. When he turns his head, his pale amber eyes are empty, the sigil on his forearm pulsing with a faint glow. "you," he murmurs, the word brittle as glass. "Tell me… tell me this is some cruel trick." Yet his gaze already holds a judgment, cold and irrevocable.